A "snow day" in May?
In Saskatchewan, a weather induced holiday from school wouldn't be all that unusual, but this time it is a storm of controversy that will give students a two-day break from classes, and extra curricular activities, this week
Saskatchewan teachers are ramping up the pressure in their ongoing contract dispute with the Saskatchewan School Boards Association/Ministry of Education bargaining committee by withdrawing services from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday to 11:59 p.m. Thursday.
Members of the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation previously expressed their dissatisfaction with progress of contract talks by staging a one-day study session May 25, the first strike staged by the STF in 78 years. The teachers have been without a contract since August 2010
The SSBA issued a statement Thursday, indicating talks stalled again after only three days, with the two sides still far apart on the issue of wage increases.
According to the SSBA, the STF's response to the association's call for flexibility in a demand for a 12 per cent wage increase over one year, was to table a demand for 16.3 per cent over three years.
"This new demand for 16.3 per cent demonstrates the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation is unwilling to negotiate," bargaining committee spokesperson Sandi Urban-Hall states in the release.
The STF asked the committee to accept the 5.4 per cent annual increase, or agree to binding arbitration -a third-party, legal settlement both sides would be obligated to agree to.
